COL Sam Edwards graduated as a Distinguished Military Graduate from North Georgia College in 1999 and received his commission as a Second Lieutenant in Infantry. He is a graduate of the Air War College, the Air Command and Staff College, Infantry Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, the Infantry Mortar Leaders Course, Airborne, Air Assault, Pathfinder and Ranger School.

COL Edwards’ past assignments include Rifle Platoon Leader and Support Leader, 1^st Battalion, 187^th Infantry Regiment at Ft. Campbell, Kentucky; Company Commander, B Company, 2^nd Battalion, 58^th Infantry Regiment at Ft. Benning, Georgia; Company Commander, B Company, 1^st Battalion, 4^th Infantry Regiment, Hohenfels, Germany; Observer Controller, Joint Multi-National Readiness Center, Hohenfels, Germany; Small Group Leader for the Maneuver Captains Career Course, Ft. Benning, Georgia; Squadron Operations Officer and Executive Officer, 1^st Squadron, 2^nd Cavalry Regiment, and the Regimental Operations Officer, 2^nd Cavalry Regiment in Vilseck, Germany; Executive Officer to the United States Army Infantry School, Ft. Benning, Georgia; Battalion Commander, 1^st Battalion, 19^th Infantry Regiment, Ft. Benning, Georgia; and the Deputy Director for the Ministerial Advisor Group Defense, Resolute Support, Afghanistan .  COL Edwards is currently serving as the Director of the Robotics Requirements Division, Ft. Benning, Georgai. COL Edwards’ operational deployments include four tours to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal (2 Oak Leaf Clusters), the Joint Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal (2 Oak Leaf Clusters), the Army Commendation Medal (Valor device and 2 Oak Leaf Clusters), the Army Achievement Medal (1 Oak Leaf Cluster), the Joint Meritorious Unit Award, the Meritorious Unit Citation, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghan Campaign Medal (3 Campaign Stars), the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon (Numeral 2), the NATO ISAF Medal, the Airborne, Air Assault, Pathfinder, Combat and Expert Infantryman Badges and the Ranger Tab.

LTC Edwards is married to the former Brandilyn Bacon of Jonesboro, Georgia and they have a daughter, Laney and a son, Eli.